Tim Leiweke, Masai Ujiri talk about futures, MLSE board issues and Drake
The Toronto-raised musician was named global ambassador for the Raptors in an announcement last fall. “I think Drake is phenomenal,” Leiweke said. “He loves the Raptors and he loves Toronto. I love being around him. I’m not embarrassed at all about what he has said or what he does on our behalf.” Drake earned the Raptors a US$25,000 fine for tampering earlier this month after appearing to recruit reigning MVP Kevin Durant during a concert in Toronto. “I think both Masai and I are unbelievably grateful — grateful — he has given us what he has given us,” Leiweke said. “We’re lucky to have him.”
NBA denies it asked Toronto Raptors to drop Drake as global ambassador
“As the Raptors’ global ambassador, Drake must follow our anti-tampering rules,” Tim Frank, the league’s senior vice-president of basketball communications, said in an email to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “At no point did we suggest his title be removed but we were clear that as long as he acted as a representative of the team, he is subject to the league’s rules.” Whatever Drake’s impact on the Raptors’ image — he was brought on as part of the team’s efforts to rebrand the team — he is generating some buzz about the Raptors on both sides of the border.
Raptors amazed by fan support at open practice
With just over a week to go before opening night, Casey continues to try to get the Raptors ready for the regular season, which starts Oct. 29 against the Atlanta Hawks. He does not like to tip his hand, so has left out various defensive schemes and strategies throughout the pre-season. Time is running short though to implement everything. “We haven’t put in probably three or four new things that we want to keep for opening night and for the season. We have to get those in, have to get our zone work in,” he said. “We have a lot of stuff to get in these next few days that we haven’t worked on. “It’s not going to stop once the regular season starts, it’s going to be a continuous work in progress. We’re not in the elite status yet, and until we get there, we’ve got to work and claw and scrap and scrape to progress until we get there.”
Terrence Ross – Will he be Ray Allen or Sonny Weems?
During the first two seasons Ray Allen was a consistent starter: 81/81 games at his rookie season, 82/82 games as a sophomore. Since his rookie season, he was playing much (30.9 Minutes per Game) and even more during his sophomore one (40 mpg). His actual stats? From 13.4 points per game the first season to 19.5 the second one. From 4 to 5 rebounds per game and from 2.6 to 4.3 assists. His 3pt percentage? From 39.3% to 36.4%. These numbers may cause vertigo if we try to compare them with Terrence’s and, of course Sonny’s ones.
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